


Burning Love

by thespiderbaby



Category: The Fast Show
Genre: Bars and Pubs, Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Crying, First Kiss, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-17 00:52:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10583016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thespiderbaby/pseuds/thespiderbaby
Summary: What happened immediately after Ralph confessed his feelings to Ted on karaoke night at their local pub?





	

The song ended and Ralph stumbled off of the stage, blinking as he tried to focus and find Ted. However, when he saw Ted's friends sitting with him, laughing and talking excitedly, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. They had seen the whole thing, him making a fool of himself in front of all the pub locals. Ralph was already certain that he was their favourite topic to gossip about behind his back, and now they'd have even more about him to make fun of. 

As Ralph reached the table, there was a sudden silence as Ted and his friends all stopped mid sentence. Then they all started to speak at once.  
"Well done Mr Mayhew, you've got a great singing voice."  
"You've got a lot of confidence there, Mr Mayhew.'  
"That was a load of old bollocks," said Simon, but Mark quickly elbowed him.  
"Come and sit down here, sir," said Ted. "Can I get you another drink?"  
Ralph sat down and looked at Ted. His face crumpled and his whole body shook as he started to sob, burying his face in his hands. Ted's friends all looked visibly uncomfortable, and made their excuses to leave.

Ted didn't know what to do. He'd seen Ralph cry before, of course: when he'd come home from school one day covered in mud, tearfully telling Ted how some boys in the year above had pushed him in the ditch and left him there. And when Ralph's father forced him to go on the hunt and shoot defenceless animals. And when Ted visited him in the hospital. Ted had been able to offer words of comfort then, but what could he do now? Ralph had practically just admitted his feelings for him, forced those words out into the open that they'd always been afraid to think about, let alone say. And Ted had turned him down, like always. "Even if you were a hundred, I would still love-" Ralph had said. Ted knew how that sentence was supposed to end, and yet he couldn't tell Ralph he felt the same way. At least not here, in the pub, with all his friends around. He made a note to himself to tell Ralph how he felt in the morning, when they were both sober but that was what he always did. Every day, he would tell himself that he would accept Ralph's offers to spend time together, but he could never bring himself to follow it through. He couldn't keep putting off admitting his feelings forever, or he really would be a hundred years old by the time he confessed. And besides, Ralph needed comforting now.

"Sir? What's the matter? Would you like to go outside for a minute?" asked Ted.   
Ralph nodded weakly, and the pair made their way out to the pub garden, which luckily was empty apart from a few people over the other side. They sat down on a bench, an appropriate distance from each other. Neither of them talked for a while; the only sound was Ralph's gentle sobbing. At last, Ralph spoke.  
"I'm sorry, Ted."  
"Sir...there's nothing to be sorry about. It's me who should be apologising to you."  
"I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean, Ted."  
"Every time you've tried to spend time with me...to get closer to me, I've turned you down, and I've regretted it every time. Even tonight...you were about to say something important and well, it probably seemed to you that I wasn't interested. What was it you were in the middle of telling me before you went off to get more drinks?"   
Ralph caught Ted's eyes for a second but quickly looked away again, staring down at his hands.   
"I was saying...Ted...even if you were a hundred years old, I would still love...I would love...Ted, I love...you." As soon as he'd finished speaking, Ralph's face reddened, and he looked dangerously close to crying again.  
"Sir, I-" Ted started to say.  
"Please, call me Ralph," Ralph mumbled.  
"Ralph, I want you to know that I love you too. And you don't need to be embarrassed about your feelings at all. I know I haven't been the best at letting you know I care about you, but I promise you I really do."  
Ralph looked up at Ted, properly seeing his face for the first time.  
"Thank you, Ted," he said. "So does this mean we're...dating now?"  
"I think it does, sir."  
"Oh, how exciting! But can you promise me one thing, Ted? Do away with all this 'sir' nonsense. I have always considered you my equal."  
Ted grinned. "I'll try my best. By the way, has anyone ever told you what a brilliant singing voice you have?"

As it started to get darker, the pair decided it would be a good idea to walk back home. None of Ted's friends had returned, so Ted would have to catch up with them later. Right now, he just wanted to spend time with Ralph; as they'd been walking along the path back home, they had ended up holding hands. Ted knew that living in a small village where everyone knew each other, there was bound to be gossip, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the fact that he and Ralph were happy together.

The couple reached Ralph's front door and stopped, Ralph turning towards Ted.   
"Well, Ted, today has been an eventful day...thank you for everything."  
"You're welcome, Ralph. I...love you. I only wish I could've told you sooner."  
"It's quite all right , Ted, quite all right." Ralph self-consciously adjusted his waistcoat. "Um, Ted...would it be alright if...um...can I kiss you?"  
"Of course!"  
"It's just...I've never kissed anyone before so forgive me if...if I don't do it right." "You'll be perfect, si- Ralph," said Ted.  
Ralph held Ted close and kissed him softly, trying to copy what he'd seen in all the rom-com films he'd watched over the years. It must've been right because Ted kissed him back. After the kiss had finished, Ralph kept his arms around his partner, feeling peaceful.  
"Ralph?" Ted asked. "Would you like to spend the night at mine? I don't want you to stay in your house all alone."  
"Oh Ted, that would be wonderful," Ralph replied. "Thank you so much."


End file.
